Chapter Text
I'll be home for Christmas, you can plan on me.
A cold wind howled through the trees, picking up waves of freshly fallen snow that swirled over frozen snowpack before drifting against the door of the safehouse. A sharp draft blew in beneath the door and the cracks in the window, though you’d taken steps to seal it as best you could. The sun was high in the sky, nearly reaching its peak before it began to set and leave you in darkness once again.
You shivered lightly, pulling your blanket tighter around your bare shoulders as you gazed out into the stark-white landscape. Light flakes sparkled on the drifts surrounding the rundown shed of a safehouse you were stuck in and melting droplets of water glistened in the sun as sharp icicles melted on the eaves of the roof.
Another shiver wracked through you as you shuffled a bit closer to the fire that roared in the dilapidated fireplace, though a pair of dripping wet tactical suits that were hanging on a makeshift clothesline took up most of the space. Still, just enough heat came from the fire and it was just enough to stave off the goosebumps that threatened to prick across your skin.
Please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree.
The warm light of the amber flames licked against the walls, sending light and shadows dancing across the rotting wood.
“Coffee, mi amor,” Danny’s voice came from behind you, followed by his soft footsteps as he moved across the floor. Before you managed to turn toward him, his lips were on your cheek, and a warm mug was pushed into your hands. A low hum whispered from your lips as you pressed your palms against the mug and Danny pressed a line of kisses up your jawline and then down your neck.
“Danny,” you sighed, closing your eyes with a smile before he pulled away.
Christmas Eve will find me, where the love light gleams.
“I love you.” he smiled, pressing another kiss to your cheek.
Glancing over your shoulder, you watched him as he moved through the remnants of the kitchen.
A thin blanket was draped over his waist as he waltzed through the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a blue and speckled white percolator in the other. He kicked one of your survival packs out of the way as he set down his mug before digging through the bag for a couple of probably expired MREs.
I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.
This definitely wasn’t the plan.
Weston had promised that this mission would be easy. That you and Danny would be home in a few days and then you’d be home for Christmas.
That was over two weeks ago.
You’d spent two weeks chasing an ousted dictator and his lackeys. It should have been easy. In and out. Kill the damn guy and anyone associated with him.
Won't you please have snow and mistletoe?
Instead, you’d been running around a freezing wasteland in circles when you should have been home in New Eden, in front of a fire, and definitely not freezing your ass off in a rundown hut. You were supposed to be eating Amma’s famous cookies and drinking whatever homemade concoction of moonshine the Roper twins had conjured up. You were supposed to be swapping vague stories with Duke and introducing Danny to your friends and your home for your first holidays together.
You supposed that there would always be next year.
But, this year, you were stuck in a rundown safehouse with a generator running on half a tank of diesel in subzero temperatures, half a gallon of water and a bag of coffee, and a dwindling stack of MREs.
But you had Danny.
That was all you needed.
And presents under the tree for me, for me.
You savored a sip of your coffee as you used your blanket to wipe away condensation that began to frost over the window as a frown found its way to your lips.
Waves of billowing clouds rolled across the sky, each soaked in soft blues and yellows as large, fluffy flakes flitted down on the wind that began to soften. You relaxed lightly, watching the flakes fall before an arm wrapped around your waist and Danny returned to your side.
He pulled what used to be a side table along with him. It teetered on three legs as he jammed it against the couch before carefully placing a pair of MREs on it and his coffee. Danny hummed lightly to himself with a chuckle as he stole your blanket from you and you growled at him. He grinned, pressing his lips against your neck as he tucked you against him and wrapped the blanket around both of you.
“Sorry we didn’t make it back home, mi amor,” he whispered against your hair, tucking you against him as you warped your arms around him and soaked in his warmth.
Despite it all, a sense of calm washed over you as he held you close and the world began to melt away.
As much as you wanted to be home with your family and your friends, somehow, this was better. Despite being stuck in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a snowstorm and running out of supplies, there was no where you'd rather be than by his side.
Sure, there weren't any twinkling lights on the roof but the icicles glistening in the sun made up for it.
There wasn't a tree for you to decorate but there were plenty outside painted with snow that sparkled just like ornaments.
There wasn't a grand meal being prepared in the kitchen but it didn't matter.
You were with Danny.
You were happy.
You shrugged, kissing his cheek, “Don’t be. This is perfect.”
I'll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams.